George Lucas’ 1977 film Star Wars: A New Hope began a 4-decade-long empire that has spun off a plethora of side hits. These include a host of movies, cartoons, Disney theme parks, hundreds of action figures, among countless others. Lucas Films, George’s production house, sold for $4.05 billion in 2012, largely as a result of the success of the movies.
But the question that we want to consider, particularly on May the Fourth (…be with you…) is why these movies have had such a massive following for so many generations. And, let me just say, with the exception of Jar Jar Binks, I personally enjoy the Star Wars films, so this question is something of a personal evaluation.
Good and Evil
Perhaps more than any other film series, Star Wars portrays the great battle between good and evil in a powerful way. The films trace a single family, from Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader) through his children, and their children, to a final character, Rey. Throughout these generations, the fight between good and evil rages, as empires rise and fall and characters wrestle with personal weakness.
The wars that are waging around the characters also wage within them. The personal struggles of Anakin, Luke, Ben, and Rey all reflect the struggles of the human heart against evil. And the ultimate redemption of each of these characters reveals the triumph of good over evil.
Humanity, while fully aware of evil in the world, still retains a conscious awareness of God, and the appeal of goodness. To see good triumph over evil through weak characters is a gripping narrative to the human soul, fraught with its own weaknesses. No wonder, then, that these stories of triumph have been box office successes.
The ‘Force’
But perhaps the most gripping part of the movie series, and the basis for the fan following, is the Force. While mostly used to levitate rocks, this impersonal existence in all life becomes the main character in the movies.
Guiding characters and redeeming them from the ‘Dark side’ (the Force’s evil duality), the Force plays a huge role in bringing about the triumph of good. Each character is reminded again and again to ‘use the Force’ and that the ‘Force is with you’.
This intangible, impersonal ‘thing’ that guides the plot of the movies has taken on mythic status among Star Wars fans. The Force saves the day, guides events, and brings peace, so long as characters submit to it.
It’s not hard to see why so many love this concept. Humanity has a conscious awareness of God from birth (Rom 1:21). But sin has caused us to suppress that truth. Star Wars simply taps into that vein of truth and replaces God with an amorphous, impersonal substitute. Viewers are pulled into a world where the Force brings about every ‘good’ character’s desired results, and triumphs over evil. In this way, the force offers all the power of God for personal happiness, but without the necessary accountability for our own sin.
God, of course, is not like this—and yet, the films touch a certain part of our hearts that know the need for these realities.
As I said from the start, I’m a Star Wars fan. There’s nothing wrong with watching these movies, if your conscience allows. I’m just thankful that I know the REAL Force - the One who truly created all things, and is a personal, infinite, and loving Father!
